News Blog

Build-A-Bear Workshop or Sweatshop? Local Company Cited for Child Labor Violations

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Labor cited St. Louis-based company Build-A-Bear Workshop for child labor violations in five states and the makers of the cuddly little stuffed animals were slapped with more than $25,000 in fines.

But while the phrase "child labor" conjures images of 8 year-old Filipino girls sewing soles on $120 sneakers for 2 cents an hour, that's not exactly the case in this instance. The violations stemmed from 16 and 17 year-old employees who were allowed to operate a trash compacter and "ride in a freight elevator that did not have an assigned operator."

The Department of Labor said in their news release about the violations that Build-A-Bear, whose first store opened in the Galleria, "cooperated fully throughout the investigation and has taken the necessary steps to assure future compliance."

So there, now you can sleep easy knowing a little girl didn't lose her finger stitching together that over-priced furry mess of yours. How's that for guilt-free?